Best Avro Podcasts (2024)

1
The Avro Arrow: For the Record 33:33

13d ago33:33

33:33

Larry Ostola talks to Palmiro Campagna about his book, The Avro Arrow: For the Record.The controversial cancellation of the Avro Arrow — an extraordinary achievement of Canadian military aviation — continues to inspire debate today. When the program was scrapped in 1959, all completed aircraft and those awaiting assembly were destroyed, along with …

1
Episode 2 - Erks, Chop Girls and Gremlins 46:51

2d ago46:51

46:51

In this episode, the James and Jane are joined by Dr. Dan Ellin to discuss the role of ground crew, ground personnel (there's a difference!) and Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during World War II. The conversation touches on the concept of the 'chop girl' and the superstitions surrounding dating aircrew. The hosts also explore the relationships…

1
S9E16 - Sex in Canada: Getting Down in the Great White North 43:37

2d ago43:37

43:37

I’m sure all our listeners at some point in their lives have encountered an uncomfortable moment when discussing sex and sexuality, and in many places and communities within Canada discussions of sex are still quite taboo. Today, we’re breaking that taboo and asking some real questions about sex in Canada. How has the subject of sex in Canada chang…

1
Canadian Criminal Law in Ten Cases 59:05

6d ago59:05

59:05

Nicole O’Byrne talks to Martin Friedland about his book, Canadian Criminal Law in Ten Cases.Canadian Criminal Law in Ten Cases explores the development of criminal justice in Canada through an in-depth examination of ten significant criminal cases. Martin L. Friedland draws on cases that went to the Supreme Court of Canada or the Privy Council, inc…

1
Episode 1 - Bomber Command Begins 44:22

16d ago44:22

44:22

Welcome to the first episode of Never Mind The Dambusters! In this episode James and Jane discuss the origins of their mutual interest in RAF Bomber Command, and talk about the evolution of Strategic Bombing Theory from the Great War to the late 1930s. What did it take to build a strategic bomber force and why was it necessary? How do you build a b…

1
S9E15 - Alcohol in early North America 48:50

17d ago48:50

48:50

When one thinks of the pre-confederation development of North America one might think of war and empires, competing nations, economic trade, fur, colonization, resistance and so many other themes and topics that have been enshrined in our understanding of early French and British North America. What’s interesting, is that present in almost all of t…

1
Terry & Me: Inside the Marathon of Hope 33:04

17d ago33:04

33:04

Larry Ostola talks to Bill Vigars about his book, Terry & Me: Inside the Marathon of Hope.A twenty-two-year-old cancer survivor and amputee, Terry set out from St. John’s Newfoundland in April 1980, aiming to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. His first months on the road in Atlantic Canada and Quebec were not only physically tax…

1
Trailer 4:25

21d ago4:25

4:25

Welcome to Never Mind The Dambusters, a brand new podcast dedicated to RAF Bomber Command's wartime history. The Dams raids were perhaps amongst the most famous and daring of the Second World War, but there's so much more to Bomber Command's history. Join historians Jane Gulliford Lowes and James Jefferies fortnightly for a deep dive into Bomber Co…

1
We Shall Persist: Women and the Vote in the Atlantic Provinces 24:08

24d ago24:08

24:08

Nicole O’Byrne talks to Heidi MacDonald about her book, We Shall Persist: Women and the Vote in the Atlantic Provinces.We Shall Persist captures both the long campaign and the years of disappointment. Suffrage victories across Atlantic Canada were steps in an unfinished and contentious march toward gender, race, and class equality.This insightful b…

1
S9E14 Hockey: The Game as We Know it Today 45:15

1M ago45:15

45:15

Hockey has had both an enduring but also a complicated relationship with ideas about what it means to be ‘Canadian’. While not every Canadian skates, or plays the game, or even cares about the game, the sport itself occupies a serous place in the Canadian cultural psyche. While the game has often been seen as something to unify Canadians, or to exp…

1
Unsettled: Lord Selkirk’s Scottish Colonists and the Battle for Canada’s West, 1813–1816 36:30

1M ago36:30

36:30

Larry Ostola talks to Robert Lower about his book, Unsettled: Lord Selkirk’s Scottish Colonists and the Battle for Canada’s West, 1813–1816.The fascinating story of the Red River Settlement, now Winnipeg, in the years 1813 to 1816, told with archival journals, reports, and letters. Unsettled takes you inside the experience, relying on journals, rep…

1
Cheated: The Laurier Liberals and the Theft of First Nations Reserve Land 29:23

1M ago29:23

29:23

Nicole O'Byrne talks to Bill Waiser and Jennie Hansen about their book, Cheated: The Laurier Liberals and the Theft of First Nations Reserve Land published by ECW Press in October 2023.Cheated is a gripping story of single-minded politicians, uncompromising Indian Affairs officials, grasping government appointees, and well-connected Liberal specula…

1
S9E13 - Of Fugitives and Orators: The Characters Behind the RCMP’s Complicated History - a special Canadian Time Machine episode 32:14

1M ago32:14

32:14

In May 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commemorated its 150th anniversary. The federal police force – which originally started out as the North-West Mounted Police – is almost as old as the Dominion of Canada itself. This episode examines the complex and painful history of an institution that has historically mistreated Indigenous pe…

1
On Stony Ground: Russländer Mennonites and the Rebuilding of Community in Grunthal 35:49

2M ago35:49

35:49

Greg Marchildon talks to James Urry about his book, On Stony Ground: Russländer Mennonites and the Rebuilding of Community in Grunthal, published by UTP in February 2024.On Stony Ground presents a historical ethnographic account of a generation of Mennonites from the Soviet Union who, following Russia’s revolution and civil war, immigrated to Manit…

1
Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Volume XII: New Essays in Women's History 34:23

2M ago34:23

34:23

In this podcast episode, Nicole O'Byrne talks to Lori Chambers and Joan Sangster about their book, Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Volume XII: New Essays in Women's History published by UTP in October 2023.Drawing on engaging case studies, Essays in the History of Canadian Law brings the law to life. The contributors to this collection provi…

1
Cliff’s extraordinary flight 18:34

2M ago18:34

18:34

Find out more about RAF veteran Cliff’s extraordinary flight in a Vulcan when he was stationed on Christmas Island.By Vulcan to the Sky

1
S9E12 - The Canadian Masters of the Air 54:53

2M ago54:53

54:53

One of the most talked about shows currently available is Masters of the Air. A program detailing the lives of American bomber crews serving in the US Army Air Force during WW2. In today’s episode, I bring on a past guest of CCH, historian Alex Fitzgerald-Black, to talk about the Canadian version of Masters of the Air. While the Americans bombed du…

1
The Slow Rush of Colonization: Spaces of Power in the Maritime Peninsula, 1680–1790 51:01

2M ago51:01

51:01

In this podcast episode, Nicole O'Byrne talks to Thomas Peace about his book, The Slow Rush of Colonization: Spaces of Power in the Maritime Peninsula, 1680–1790 published by UBC Press in February 2024.In The Slow Rush of Colonization, historian Thomas Peace traces the 100-year context that underpins the widespread Euro-American/Euro-Canadian settl…

1
The Ontario Bond Scandal of 1924 Re-examined 23:45

2M ago23:45

23:45

In this podcast episode, Nicole O'Byrne talks to Ian Kyer about his book, The Ontario Bond Scandal of 1924 Re-examined published by Irwin Law in October 2023.In 1924, Peter Smith, the former treasurer of the Province of Ontario, and Aemilius Jarvis, one of Canada’s most prominent businessmen and a champion yachtsman, were found guilty of criminal c…

1
S9E11 - Canada, Maritime Power, and Africa 58:58

2M ago58:58

58:58

The Houthis are a non-state Shia Islamist politically and military movement, and they have controlled key parts of western Yemen since the Yemenis Civil War broke out in 2014. In response to the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza the Houthis began launching missile and drone strikes at cargo ships entering the Red Sea (shipping destined for the Suez Ca…

1
Part of Life Itself: The War Diary of Lieutenant Leslie Howard Miller, CEF 32:43

3M ago32:43

32:43

In this podcast episode, Larry Ostola talks to Graham Broad about his book, Part of Life Itself: The War Diary of Lieutenant Leslie Howard Miller, CEF published by the University of Toronto Press in October 2023.This extensively annotated wartime diary illuminates the military service of Leslie Howard Miller (1889–1979), a Canadian soldier who serv…

1
The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson and the Making of Modern Canada 29:46

3M ago29:46

29:46

In this podcast episode, Greg Marchildon talks to John Ibbitson about his book, The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson and the Making of Modern Canada published by Signal in October 2023.One of Canada’s foremost authors and journalists, Ibbitson offers a gripping account of the contest between John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson, two prime ministers who fo…

1
S9E10 The Beginning of the End: The 1758 Siege of Louisbourg 29:06

3M ago29:06

29:06

The fortress of Louisbourg was once thought to be one of the finest fortresses of its day. It was considered a marvel of engineering, a dominating position that helped secure French control over the eastern seaboard of modern day Canada. Today, the fortress is one of the most important historical places in the country, it was at the centre of Frenc…

1
King and Chaos: The 1935 Canadian General Election 43:58

3M ago43:58

43:58

In this podcast episode, Larry Ostola talks to David MacKenzie about his book, King and Chaos: The 1935 Canadian General Election, published by UBC Press in June 2023.In 1935, Canadians went to the polls against a backdrop of the Great Depression and deteriorating international conditions. This election was like no other, as five major parties comp…

1
For a Better World: The Winnipeg General Strike and the Workers' Revolt 32:38

3M ago32:38

32:38

In this podcast episode, Nicole O’Byrne talks to James Naylor, Rhonda L. Hinther, and Jim Mochoruk about their book, For a Better World: The Winnipeg General Strike and the Workers' Revolt, published by UMP in September 2022.Canada’s largest and most famous example of class conflict, the Winnipeg General Strike, redefined local, national, and inter…

1
S9E9 - A Ballistic Decision: Canadian Intelligence Services and the Cancellation of the Avro Arrow 36:54

3M ago36:54

36:54

The Avro Arrow is a topic that has fascinated Canadians since its controversial cancellation in 1959. However, in the last ten years the narrative has changed dramatically from an American plot to ruin our aerospace industry to a decision made by the Canadian government based on very real calculations about the security threat to North America and …

1
Holiday Reboot - The Upper Canadian Militia during the War of 1812 16:53

4M ago16:53

16:53

For this 2023 Holiday Reboot episode we go back to Season 2 Episode Six for a look at the militia of Upper Canada during the early days of the War of 1812. On paper, the militia was a sizeable force, yet in reality it was dubious in its commitment to the defence of Canada and questionable in its quality to do so were they even to show up. A British…

1
Holiday Reboot - S2E1 The Strangest Tale of WW2: The Battle for Castle Itter 19:28

4M ago19:28

19:28

For this 2023 Holiday Reboot episode we go way back to Season 2 Episode 1 for one of the strangest tales of the Second World War. In the closing days of the conflict a group of VIP prisoners, incarcerated at Castle Itter in Austria, near the city of Tyrol, fight a desperate battle against a murderous band of SS Soldiers seeking to inflict death acr…

1
S9E8 Confederates in Canada and the Canadian Connection to Lincoln's Assassination 25:47

4M ago25:47

25:47

On the 30th of May 1867 Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederate States of America, arrived in Toronto following his imprisonment after the Civil War. In a speech to a crowd of Canadian onlookers he said, “I thank you for the honour you have shown me, May peace and prosperity be forever the blessing of Canada, for she has been the asylu…

1
In a ‘Land of Hope’: Documents on the Canadian Jewish Experience, 1627-1923 38:03

4M ago38:03

38:03

In this podcast episode, Greg Marchildon talks to Richard Menkis and Pierre Anctil about their book, the 2023 volume of the Champlain Society, In a ‘Land of Hope’: Documents on the Canadian Jewish Experience, 1627-1923, published by University of Toronto Press in 2023.The first of two volumes, In a Land of Hope presents a uniquely complete overview…

1
Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats: Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy 37:45

5M ago37:45

37:45

Larry Ostola talks to Patrice Dutil about his book, Statesmen, Strategists & Diplomats: Canada’s Prime Ministers and the Making of Foreign Policy, published by UBC Press in June 2023.Statesmen, Strategists, and Diplomats explores how prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau have shaped foreign policy by manipulating government s…

1
S9E7 Big Men Fear Me - The Life and Times of George McCullagh 35:19

5M ago35:19

35:19

The Globe and Mail is an absolute fixture of the Canadian media landscape. One would be hard pressed to find a single Canadian who would not know what the Globe and Mail is, or could not name it if asked to name three Canadian newspapers. Yet so few Canadians know the man who founded it. This man was a figure of Gatsby-esque proportions. A media mo…

1
A Cooperative Disagreement: Canada-United States Relations and Revolutionary Cuba, 1959–93 34:01

5M ago34:01

34:01

Greg Marchildon talks to John M. Dirks about his book, A Co-operative Disagreement: Canada-United States Relations and Revolutionary Cuba, 1959-93, published by UBC Press in August 2022.John Dirks investigates efforts at the senior and working levels of Canada-US diplomacy and bureaucracy to find mutually advantageous ways of cooperating, despite t…

1
The Notorious Georges: Crime and Community in British Columbia’s Northern Interior, 1909-25 36:00

5M ago36:00

36:00

In this podcast episode, Nicole O’Byrne talks to Jonathan Swainger about his book “The Notorious Georges: Crime and Community in British Columbia’s Northern Interior, 1909-25”, published by UBC Press in 2023.In The Notorious Georges, Jonathan Swainger explores how the local pursuit of respectability collided with caricatures of a riotously ill-mann…

1
S9E6 The SS in Canada Part Two 31:05

5M ago31:05

31:05

Back in episode 4 myself and historian Per Anders Rudling spoke in length about the history behind Ukrainian Waffen SS veterans settling in Canada in the aftermath of the Second World War. This discussion was a result of the embarrassing moment in Canada’s parliament where parliamentarians gave a former Waffen SS soldier a standing ovation. Our con…

1
Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War 30:28

5M ago30:28

30:28

In this podcast episode, Greg Marchildon talks to Tim Cook about his book, Lifesavers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War, published by Penguin Canada in 2023.Based on deep archival research and unpublished letters of soldiers and medical personnel, Lifesavers and Body Snatchers is a powerful narrative th…

1
A soaring story of flying XH558 31:57

6M ago31:57

31:57

Ending this season on a high is retired wing commander Adrian Sumner. Adrian has flown around the world in this aircraft and is now a proud volunteer at Vulcan to the Sky Trust, he explains his remarkable journey with the Vulcan over the years with the RAF and why it is important to preserve this remarkable aircraft and preserve its heritage.…

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